State warns rink offering 'Christian skate times'

New York state's Division of Human Rights says a private roller rink offering "Christian skate times" has violated the law because it discriminates against non-Christians.

In its marketing, Skate Time 209 in Accord, N.Y., offers "tot" skates and "tween" skates for ages 6-13 along with family nights and adult disco parties, according to the Times Herald-Record in Middletown, N.Y.

But the rink's April 19 newspaper ad offering a time set aside Sunday afternoon for Christian music is evidence of a human rights violation, the state agency maintains.

A "Christian skate denies or at a minimum, discourages non-Christian patronage," a letter from the state division said.

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Rev. Lou Sheldon, director of the Traditional Values Coalition in Washington, calls the charge "crazy."

"These people are exercising basic constitutional rights on private property to the exclusion of no one and the state government is treating them like dangerous criminals," Sheldon said. "This is political correctness run amok."

The skating rink's owners, Len and Terry Bernardo, are being represented by the public-interest legal group American Center for Law and Justice.

"My guy is out to make money," argued lawyer Vincent McCarthy. "He is not going to shoot himself in the foot by excluding somebody."

In a letter to the Human Rights division, McCarthy contended the Bernardos don't exclude non-Christians.

Seeking to avoid a legal fight, the Bernardos changed their ad to refer to "spiritual skate times" Sunday afternoons. The rink's website explains "Christian" refers only to the type of music played during the sessions, and no one is discriminated against.

"We would like it to go away," Terry Bernardo said. "We're afraid if we make too big a stink, the state won't let it go."

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